


the heart is a beating drum

by haipollai



Category: Avengers (Comics), Young Avengers
Genre: Alternate Universe - Boarding School, F/F, Not In Chronological Order, Resolved Sexual Tension, Sex is all of age, Sexual Tension, Teacher-Student Relationship, Underage Flirting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-11
Updated: 2013-10-11
Packaged: 2017-12-29 03:20:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,938
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1000263
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/haipollai/pseuds/haipollai
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Kate come here." She stands, pushing aside how aroused she still is. With shaky hands she helps Kate fix her tie and straighten it over her shirt, trying to ignore the heat of her skin through fabric, the hint of purple through the buttons. "There must be someone closer to your own age. You-" she chokes up briefly. "You're a beautiful girl."</p>
<p>Kate smiles tightly and nods. "I'll see you tomorrow, Ms. Drew."</p>
<p>Jess doesn't move until the door closes behind Kate and she slumps down in her chair. She's fucked.</p>
            </blockquote>





	the heart is a beating drum

Kate's mouth is warm and wet and she kisses with the abandon of someone who expects the kisses to end with sex. Jess fists a hand in Kate's hair, meaning to pull her back, to stop this. They shouldn't be doing this. Kate rests a knee between Jess's legs and rocks, pressing just right against her. It's enough to finally get Jess to move, to do the responsible thing and push her away.

"Stop it," she gasps, unintentionally sucking hard on her lower lip, still able to taste Kate's lip gloss. "You are my student Kate. We can _not_ be doing this." There's a flicker of something over Kate's face. Fear maybe, sadness, determination.

"No one has to know." Kate licks her lips, swollen and red from the kiss and even somehow with all her clothes still on she looks debauched. "Please Ms. Drew. I know you look at me during class. What's the harm?"

"Are you serious?" She presses the heels of her palms against her eyes. Not looking at her helps. "No. I have to be your mentor, I can't be compromised because of your hormones." She drops her hands to her lap. Kate has already turned away, and is fidgeting anxiously with her clothes. "Kate," she says softly.

"I'm sorry Ms. Drew. I don't want to upset you. You won't tell anyone right?"

"Kate come here." She stands, pushing aside how aroused she still is. With shaky hands she helps Kate fix her tie and straighten it over her shirt, trying to ignore the heat of her skin through fabric, the hint of purple through the buttons. "There must be someone closer to your own age. You-" she chokes up briefly. "You're a beautiful girl."

Kate smiles tightly and nods. "I'll see you tomorrow, Ms. Drew."

Jess doesn't move until the door closes behind Kate and she slumps down in her chair. She's fucked.

-

It's not that Kate Bishop has a fetish or that she has something to prove. Except she does and it'd be nice if people stopped comparing her to the school's previous archery champion. Clint Barton is with the US National team now and everyone says she'll be just like him. It'd be nice if people stopped expecting things from her.

The only time the girl's bathroom on floor 3 is empty is between 2 and 4 in the morning. There's technically a curfew but no one is going to stop a girl needing to pee. Kate lets the water pour over her, bracing one hand against the wall and moving the other between her legs.

She doesn't imagine a dark head between her legs and long, fingers, roughened from chalk and paper cuts inside of her.

Except she does.

-

Jess feels like a mess when she wakes up. Her head throbs like it always does the morning after she drinks too much wine. She pushes herself up slowly, shoving her hair aside to try to assess where she is. At least she's in the bed.

Kate isn't though.

With a low groan, Jess gets to her feet, yanking on the hem of her oversized shirt with a picture of the Tower of London on it. It had been a gift and Kate says she likes how Jess looks in it and not much else. She makes her way out to the hotel room's small balcony.

She finds Kate there, curled up in a chair with a cup of instant coffee. Below them, Rome buzzes with life but Jess ignores it in favor of carefully removing the cup from Kate's hands and setting it aside so she can straddle the girl's lap. 

"You're dressed," Jess murmurs, running her fingers down Kate's neck to her t-shirt.

"And you're not." Kate's hand runs up her thigh, hand curling around her ass.

Jess kisses her lips, tasting the cheap coffee there. "I have to wear suits and dresses for nine and a half months out of the year, I like being in nothing." Kate's eyes flutter. "I'll be back." She gets out of Kate's lap and heads back inside.

"I like you in suits!" Kate says loud enough that her voice carries to Jess. She pauses to smile, a pair of shorts half on. She quickly finishes, pulling her hair up into a loose bun and poking her head back out to the balcony. "Ready? Maybe some real coffee?"

Kate smiles up at her, quickly getting to her feet. "Took you long enough."

-

Jess has been teaching at Xavier's Academy for three years when she gets Kate Bishop in her upper level literature class. Kate Bishop who struts and smirks. Jessica has seen her in the hallways, it's impossible not to know who everyone is in such a small school, and she's heard the other teachers talk but Kate Bishop in her classroom is something else.

Kate Bishop has something to prove and that's how everything goes so wrong.

-

Kate graduates and goes to USC. 3000 miles away and Jess hopes that is it. She can pretend she's a responsible adult who doesn't make out with students. At least they never went further, Jess clings to that knowledge as the summer begins.

Carol invites her out that first night. Steve, Bucky, Sharon, even Tony and Rhodey are out with them. Jess drinks too much and leans too heavily into Carol. She wants to tell someone, the secret is twisted around her tongue. Begging to be let out. (Begging like Kate sitting at Jessica's desk, with a pen between her lips.) Jessica wants to tell Carol but she's heard her judgment on teacher's who do anything with students.

She ends up sitting outside with Steve, both of them needing a break from the noise inside.

"Hey, Steve?" She pokes his knee with her toe to make sure he's paying attention. She's lost track of how much she has had to drink, doesn't know if he's any closer to sober than she is. He blinks up at her, eyes a little too bright but focused. "I have a friend. They uh- they made out with a student. The student's graduated but they're still confused."

Steve's forehead furrows slightly as he considers the question not said. "Student move away?"

"Going to, school across the country as far as I know."

"Any evidence?" Jess shakes her head and immediately feels the world spin in sympathy. She hasn't had enough to drink to throw up in a long time, but this night might end that streak. Steve is immediately next to her, gently rubbing her back. "As long as it's not a habit, friend is fine." He slurs slightly and lets her lean against him.

He's good, big and warm. "Thanks Steve. I'll let them know."

-

"I don't sleep around you know," Kate says with no warning, almost slamming Jessica's door behind her. The loud noise makes Jess jump and flinch but Kate doesn't notice. "I don't. I'm not here just to fuck you." Jess pinches the bridge of her nose, it's too early for this. "I've dated two people in this entire fucking school not counting you. None of it is about sex. It's about _me_."

Jess bites back a sharp 'of course it is'. It's February, over half way through the school year and Jess has to pat herself on the back for getting this far and resisting what Kate seems so willing to give. "You?" She asks instead.

"I'm my own damn person and some arbitrary law about maturity and age limits doesn't dictate what I know I can handle."

"The rules are there for a reason," Jess argues. "Kate- You-"

Kate purses her lips. "I won't stop wanting you."

"And if we sleep together, I'll break the law, I'll be fired. I can't be your teacher and be biased like that." They've had this argument before. Kate looks a little more tired each time, like she's slowly accepting it. Jess doesn't want to think about why that upsets her.

"You were sad yesterday," Kate says, suddenly switching topics. "Am I allowed to know why?"

Jess blinks, surprised anyone noticed besides Carol. "Anniversary of my mom's death."

To her surprise, Kate comes over and kisses her on the cheek. Nothing else. No other advances. "I'm sorry. I know how hard that is." 

-

Kate likes to taunt Ms. Drew. She likes watching the way her eyes lock on Kate. Like Kate is something special. It's something she doesn't feel very often, not with dad out of touch with business, the school is full of rich kids and smart kids and some kids who are both.

It's hard to stand out when everyone is unique.

But Ms. Drew looks at her.

She doesn't talk about it with anyone. Billy commented once on the way Kate always sits up front in Lit, and Ms. Drew always seems to notice, but a sharp glare makes him bite his tongue. She knows she has to keep this a secret, what she wants, what they've done. Even if it's not nearly as much as Kate wants to do.

She doesn't let herself think about what she wants.

Instead she flips her biology textbook open to page 346 just as Ms. Morris instructs and focuses on class. 

-

Jess agrees to private tutor sessions with Kate after classes in October of Kate's final year.

She realizes it's a bad idea by November

-

Jessica was hoping to enjoy the first break of the year. It'd bee going smooth. She'd managed to not think of Kate , to focus on teaching. There were new students, Anya Corazon was one of the lucky scholarship students at Xavier's Academy, and she doesn't try to make out with Jess.

She's bored.

Worst of all, she misses Kate. School is on break for Thanksgiving, Jessica doesn't have family and even if she did, the American holiday doesn't hit any soft notes. Carol invites her to join her family in Boston, Jess promises Christmas since Carol never likes leaving her alone and Jess usually enjoys Carol's family. But she wants this weekend to finally settle into the new school year. Maybe even go out, drink too much, find someone who will fuck her. Leave her sore and worn out and able to face the next day fresh.

That's her plan. She even gets to the going out part. She drinks too many shots with 'pumpkin' and 'apple' in the name and she flirts with strangers. Faceless, interchangeable. None of them really hit it off.

She ends up calling Lindsey, one of the school's secretaries and a friend, for a ride home. Lindsey is patient and caring, helping her get all the way to bed without tripping over her own feet.

"Why didn't we work, Lindsey?" Jess mumbles, half awake.

"I don't know," Lindsey strokes her cheek. "You like your secrets Jessica. It can make things hard."

"I'm sorry."

Lindsey kisses her forehead and leaves her there. "Sleep it off."

"Don't want to." She doesn't reach out for Lindsey and eventually falls back asleep. She's woken up by someone knocking and her clock tells her it's eleven in the morning. It's tempting to ignore the knocking but she's up and moving before she can stop herself.

Kate's at the door.

Jessica almost shuts it again.

-

Kate's kisses are fire. She tastes like lipstick and the salt of her chips. Her mouth is warm, inviting Jess in, encouraging her to slip her tongue past her lips.

-

They decide to go to Europe between Kate's freshman and sophomore years of college. Kate's nineteen and Jessica isn't sure why Kate's dad even says yes, maybe she tells him it's educational, she's going with a teacher. Jess doubts that Kate mentions that on the plane ride to London she drags Jess into the tiny bathroom and grinds against her thigh. Jess has to bite down on her hand to keep quiet, most of the plane is asleep.

A stewardess gives them a look when they step out, but doesn't say anything and they sleep through the rest of the flight.

-

Kate stares at Ms. Dr- she stops herself and corrects to Jessica. They're no longer student and teacher, that's why she's here on Jessica's doorstep.

"You look awful."

Jess snorts softly. "What are you doing here?"

Kate doesn't have a ready answer, though she knew the question was coming. It was the first thing anyone in a similar position would ask. Instead, knowing anything she tried to say would come out garbled, she closes the short distance between them and kisses her. For a moment Jess does nothing, frozen in surprise, her hands fall to Kate's hips and she kisses back.

They stumble back into Jess's apartment, Kate barely remembering to kick the door closed behind her. 

"Kate," Jessica's voice comes out ragged and needy. It's a tone of voice Kate's never heard from Jessica before and it sends a spark of need through her. Kate comes in to continue kissing, hoping maybe they can finally go further but Jessica's hands tighten and push at her until Kate has to take a step back. "Kate, stop."

"Why? I'm not your student anymore. I want you, that wasn't a silly high school crush." She blushes and quickly corrects herself. "Maybe it started that way but I'm here cause I can't stop thinking about you even three thousand miles away. Which I guess is stupid but true."

Jessica blinks at her. Without warning she lets go and twists away. "I need coffee. A lot of coffee. Do you want any?"

"Please." Jess leads her into the kitchen and gestures at a seat before going to get the pot started. "I'm studying marketing. Or I think I will. I even met the infamous Clint Barton since he trains out there."

"Oh god, please keep your distance." She pulls out a box of donuts and sets them on the table.

"You know Clint?" Kate knows Jessica didn't attend the Academy herself, she studied somewhere in England supposedly and she didn't start teaching until after Clint had graduated. She tries to mentally go through anything she knows of the two to make the connection but Jessica leans against the table next to her, interrupting the thought.

"Long story." She reaches over and brushes her fingers through Kate's hair. "You came all the way out here during Thanksgiving to see me?"

"Dad's in Hong Kong for business. Never really celebrated Thanksgiving as a kid, parents were immigrants. Indian and British." She shrugs and leans into the touch. "Wanted to see you."

"Oh Kate," Jessica sighs. "This is such an awful idea." And she leans down and kisses Kate. Simple, nothing like their other kisses. It ends naturally on its own and Jessica goes to get their coffee.

-

Jessica's kisses are sweet, like sugar. Though Kate will never tell her that. Her kisses carry something different in them. Something that makes Kate tingle with some complicated mix of love and lust. Make her feel special, like Jess never wants to stop kissing her.

-

Europe is their longest time together as a couple. Jessica learns how it feels to walk down the streets with Kate's hand in hers, how to tug her close just because she wants to. The years separating them don't feel as vast as they do when all they usually have to stay in touch is Skype and text.

They wander through Rome and Paris. They get a stranger to take a picture of them kissing with the Eiffel Tower behind them.

"Have you ever thought about writing?" Kate asks in a small cafe on some Paris side street Jessica doesn't know the name of, or if it even has a name.

"What?' 

Kate shrugs and stares down at her wine. "You have been teaching for years, you get all the symbolism. Why not?"

Jessica cuts off her immediate protest that she can't, she couldn't compare to what she teaches. Instead she leans in and covers Kate's hand with her own. "And what would I write about?"

Kate smirks and taps her glass against her lower lip, leaving a smudge of lipstick behind. Jess used to think Kate's bold colors were just for show, a way of standing out in the same uniform as everyone else. Except she still prefers purple shirts and dresses, colorful headbands and ribbons offset her dark hair and she paints her lips in red. "A love story of course. But one with two people who know they're just as good on their own as they are together."

"And what would you do while I was becoming a famous writer?"

Kate leans in and presses a kiss to her cheek. "Be your muse?"

A laugh bubbles out of Jess and she leans in to kiss Kate, because she can, because Kate is smiling, because they're lost in a crowd of strangers and nothing of what they were matters.

-

Jessica looks at Kate, sprawled in her bed, arms and legs akimbo. Tomorrow, she flies back to school, to start her second year of college. They're both still jet lagged from traveling and haven't done much besides 

So Jessica climbs back into bed, rubbing two fingers over Kate's cunt and flicking her tongue over a nipple. Kate sighs softly, arching off the bed. Jess slips a finger inside her and crooks it, knowing from practice how to touch her and Kate's sigh becomes a moan.

"Just like that, please Jess." She hooks a leg around Jessica's hips, using her as leverage. Her eyes meet Jess', and very slowly she runs a tongue over kiss swollen lips. "Fuck me Ms. Drew, please."


End file.
